BIM, or Building Information Modeling, refers to the use of 3D modeling software. It is common in the design phase of a construction project but can also be used during construction itself and, later, in facilities operation. By incorporating geometry, geography and material quantities, BIM allows for the virtual representation of a building, which contractors and project managers can examine without visiting a job site or flipping through product catalogs.
For BIM to succeed, though, a heavy degree of software interoperability is required; after all, everyone working on a construction project -- project managers, property managers, subcontractors, designers and so on -- needs access to the same information model, regardless of the software tools that they use. This is why groups such as the National BIM Standard project are calling for open BIM standards, which would make it easier for construction software applications and, thus, their users to share data.
McGraw-Hill Professional's Building Information Modeling shows architects and contractors how to use BIM to improve coordination and planning while simultaneously reducing risks and errors. The author, Willem Kymmell, teaches BIM, virtual building software and construction documentation at California State University (Chico); he also has more than 30 years' experience in residential and commercial architecture.
The first two chapters of Building Information Modeling demonstrate how BIM is currently used and walk readers through some of the legal considerations surrounding the use of BIM. The final two chapters, meanwhile, provide readers with BIM learning methods, skill sets and case studies.
Chapter 3, BIM Software Tools, discusses the characteristics of modeling tools and model analysis tools and describes the main BIM software offerings. Readers of ConstructionSoftwareReview.com can download this chapter as a free PDF file -- see the bottom of this page for details.
Modeling software, Kymmell notes, falls into one of two broad categories. Surface modelers consist only of surfaces that lack thickness; as a result, these tools are used primarily for visualization. Solid modelers provide actual 3D representations of objects and, therefore, have the correct dimensions. Model analysis software, on the other hand, performs qualitative, sequential and quantitative analysis.
After defining the types of BIM software, Kymmell discusses the key questions architects and contractors should ask when they want to purchase BIM software. The chapter concludes with the author's thoughts on the product lines of several vendors, including NavisWorks, Bentley, Autodesk, Vico and Tekla.
*** Download BIM Software Tools as a free PDF file. If you want to read it now, then left-click on the link. If you want to save the file and read it later, then right-click. (Note: This is a big file -- almost 28 MB -- so it may take some time to download.)
Excerpted from Business Information Modeling (ISBN: 9780071494533) by Willem Kymmell. Copyright 2008. Published by McGraw-Hill Professional as part of the McGraw-Hill Construction Book Series. Reprinted with permission.